China vs India: People not using safely managed sanitation facilities
China
449.06 million people
in 2024
India
539.97 million people
in 2024
China rank
2nd
India rank
1st
People not using safely managed sanitation facilities over time
- China
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 539.97 million people against 449.06 million people in China, a difference of 90.90 million people.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 150 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and India in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.05 billion people | 929.55 million people | 123.13 million people | China |
| 2010s | 730.78 million people | 770.65 million people | 39.86 million people | India |
| 2020s | 477.54 million people | 590.84 million people | 113.30 million people | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people not using safely managed sanitation facilities, China or India?
- India, at 539.97 million people against 449.06 million people in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people not using safely managed sanitation facilities between China and India?
- 90.90 million people, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for people not using safely managed sanitation facilities?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 1st of 150 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People not using safely managed sanitation facilities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
People not using safely managed sanitation services might practice open defecation, use unimproved sanitation facilities, or use improved facilities that do not safely manage human waste.